The Year Is 1996. Apple Instructs Its Employees How To Use The Netscape Browser.

7 years

Eli Goldberg emails us. He writes:

“If you’re ever having a slow news day, you might be able to do something funny with this.

It’s the instructions I received in summer 1996 when starting at Apple explaining how to employees how use a Netscape web browser to obtain our benefits information, including how to use a web browser’s back button.”

Dear Eli, there’s no such thing as a slow news day. And there’s no chance we’re not posting what you sent us. Below, find Apple’s instructions on how to use Netscape Navigator, the Web browser and flagship product of Netscape Communications Corporation.

My favorite part of the document (along with the phrase “Netscape’s disclaimer when information is sent over the World Wide Web”):

Navigation Links

Navigation links are the underlined words that appear at the bottom of each section. You can move to specific parts of the document by clicking on these underlined words or phrases.

Back Button

The Back button is part of Netscape. It’s the square button in the top left-hand corner of your browser. You can use this button to get back to where you just were. By clicking this button several times, you will be brought through the same path you just took, only backwards.

Through the same path you just took, only backwards!

On an interesting sidenote: according to his LinkedIn profile, Eli Goldberg indeed started working at Apple in June 1996 (right before he started Prometheus Music). He went on to work for companies like Netscape (the irony!), Eazel, Sun, AOL, Flock and is currently employed by Microsoft.